• Operating revenue of $78.5 billion, up $1.5 billion from the prior fiscal year
• Adjusted loss increased by $2.0 billion
• One-time, non-cash benefit of $57.0 billion from the Postal Service Reform Act

The post News/Media Alliance Files Comments on Rate Proposals & USPS Reports Fiscal Year 2022 Results appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

On October 17th, a Maryland circuit court judge struck down the state’s tax on digital advertising services. The ruling held that the tax violated the Internet Tax Freedom Act, the Constitution’s Commerce Clause, as well as the First Amendment. The Alliance applauds the court’s decision and maintains the stance that taxes on advertising are bad public policy, and harmful to the economy. The Alliance successfully fought for the exemption of newspapers and magazines under the legislation upon its original passage in 2020. The Alliance acknowledges the importance of advertising revenue for publishers as a means to providing quality news to their communities and will continue to oppose legislation that negatively impacts that ability.

The post News/Media Alliance Applauds Maryland Court’s Decision to Strike Down State’s Digital Ad Tax appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

The report, which examined the history of minority-owned media and the impact of the ascendance of big tech platforms (such as Facebook and Google) on minority-owned outlets and those targeting underrepresented communities, is the product of an extensive research and information-gathering effort that included conducting interviews with several representatives from minority-owned news outlets.

The report concludes, “The ascendance of Facebook and Google threatens the viability of the entire news industry and exacerbates the structural inequities – including a disparity in advertising dollars, resources and access to capital – that have long plagued minority media. These persisting inequities, which require a reconsideration of a broad set of public policies and practices, are now compounded by minority publishers’ reliance on the very platforms that have upended and circumvented the role of the press as independent watchdogs in a democracy.”

In a separate overview and introduction to the report, which is based on the report’s conclusions, the News/Media Alliance recommends passing the JCPA as a solution to reversing the concerning trends found in the report. The JCPA would offer small and local news media outlets, including minority-owned publications, the ability to collectively negotiate with the tech platforms for fair compensation for the use of their content. Currently, these publishers do not have the ability to negotiate these deals on their own, as the dominant tech platforms capture the majority of U.S. digital ad revenue, leaving local publishers with little to reinvest in the production of high-quality journalism.

###

Click here to download the report.

Media contact:
Lindsey Loving
Director, Communications
lindsey@newsmediaalliance.org

The post Statement: The JCPA Would Allow Minority-Owned Media to Negotiate with Big Tech Platforms for Fair Compensation appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

John Murray

Arlington, VA – The News Media Alliance has named The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead (North Dakota) (Small category), the Detroit Free Press (Medium category), the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Medium Category) and Newsday (Long Island, NY) (Large category) as the recipients of the 2021 John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development.

A selection committee of Alliance and American Press Institute (API) staff members selected the four recipients (with a tie in the Medium category) for their exceptional innovation and sophistication in understanding content strategy as part of audience development. Their effective use of multiple platforms and formats for sharing content; development of thoughtful, responsive content and programs to help readers navigate important issues (e.g., Covid-19 vaccines, local crime, etc.); livestreaming sports and virtual events; and leveraging social media, video, and newsletter products to introduce their brands to new audiences resulted in measurable positive impacts on audience growth, subscription and advertiser revenue, and print and digital subscriptions.

All four news publishers successfully applied one or more of the seven ‘Table Stakes’ capacities of modern news publishing, which were developed as part of the Knight Lenfest Local News Transformation program.

Alliance President and CEO, David Chavern, stated, “We continue to be amazed at the innovation and creativity our members have shown year after year in their submissions for this Award. While we received many impressive nominations again this year, these four news organizations showed some amazing results in growing audience and revenue for their digital products and services that exemplify what is possible when news organizations listen to readers and what they need, and meet them where they are. I know John Murray would have been really excited and proud to see the hard work news publishers are putting in that is paying off in the form of new and engaged audiences.”

Michael Bolden, Executive Director and CEO of API, said, “The four winners of the John P. Murray Award demonstrated successful applications of the transformational thinking news organizations must put into practice in the digital age to better serve their communities. The winners can build on their success, while their work offers useful case studies that other publishers can follow in their own markets. Putting such peer learning into practice is one of the most powerful tools we have in journalism to help move the industry forward.”

This is the third year of the John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development, which was established in memory of former Vice President of Audience Development John Murray, who was with the organization for over 20 years before passing away in 2018. Murray was known across the news industry for helping Alliance member news publishers improve audience development and engagement, and for convening members to share best practices.

In response to being named a recipient of the 2021 John P. Murray Award:

• Stephanie Schroeder, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer at Forum Communications said, “The Forum is beyond honored to be chosen as one of the recipients of this prestigious award. We believe that our audience is our most valuable asset, so we are proud to be recognized for our efforts in trying to better serve them. Our work is not yet finished – and it likely never will be – but it’s work we feel privileged to do.”
• Brian Manzullo, Social, Search & Audience Editor at the Detroit Free Press stated, “On behalf of the Detroit Free Press, it’s an absolute honor to receive this award from the News Media Alliance in memory of John Murray. It’s a testament to the efforts by our entire newsroom in not just engaging our audiences, but involving them throughout the newsgathering process to empower our journalism and deliver meaningful impact in our communities. Thank you so much to the News Media Alliance for recognizing our work, and most of all thank you to our readers who help push us to become better at serving them.”
• Dennis Francis, Oahu Publications, Inc. President and Publisher said, “Innovative audience development allows the Honolulu Star-Advertiser to focus on its core mission of providing the community with local news, sports, commentary and entertainment while spurring public discussions on the critical issues affecting the lives of our readers and the communities they serve across the State.”
• Debby Krenek, Publisher of Newsday, said, “We could not be prouder of what the team has achieved for our organization with Newsday LIVE events. We’re incredibly honored that their work is being recognized by our peers at the News Media Alliance.” Melissa Carfero, Newsday’s manager of event strategy and development, added, “It’s a tremendous honor to receive this award and to be recognized by News Media Alliance, especially for excellence in audience development. The success Newsday LIVE has seen year over year is undoubtedly attributed to the expertise, determination and unwavering commitment our team shares in making each event more successful than the last.”

All four recipients will receive an award to display at their property; a check for $1,000 to put toward enhancing their audience development and engagement efforts; and will be invited to present their success stories an upcoming Alliance member best practices webinar. The Alliance will also add this year’s recipients to a plaque that is displayed at its headquarters.

For more information about the John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development, click here.

###

Media Contact:
Lindsey Loving
Director, Communications
lindsey@newsmediaalliance.org

The News Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization representing more than 2,000 news organizations and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and globally. Alliance members include print, digital and mobile publishers of original news content. Headquartered just outside of Washington, D.C., the association focuses on ensuring the future of news media through communication, research, advocacy and innovation. Information about the News Media Alliance (formerly NAA) can be found at www.newsmediaalliance.org.

The post News Media Alliance Announces Recipients of 2021 John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

Guest: Kim Bui, Director of Product & Audience Innovation, Arizona Republic

“The product side is a personal interest of mine in that it really is the ‘how’ – I love looking at how we can tell better stories, how we can integrate better with our audience’s lives, listen to them, become more useful, and really get away from the pedestal style journalism that has ended up with us not being trusted by a majority of people.” – Kim Bui, Arizona Republic

What comes first, the product or the user? How do we close the gap between the addressable market and market penetration? What are ways to use newsletters and text notifications to get personal with readers? How can we position ourselves now with younger readers and Gen Z readers as a useful news source? What are the “winners” in the news product space doing that we are not?

On this episode of News Take, News Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern chatted with Kim Bui, Director of Product and Audience Innovation at the Arizona Republic/AZCentral.com, about how to leverage the latest trends in digital products to connect with your audience and be useful to them, while at the same time building trust and emphasizing community-centered journalism. The conversation flows into a discussion of the evolving workplace and how Kim’s columns, “Sincerely, Leaders of Color” and “The Middles” reflect the importance of improving diversity in news media and providing education to those emerging leaders who are navigating unfamiliar management and leadership roles.

Listen now or download the audio file to listen offline:

Don’t forget to subscribe to the News Take podcast by clicking “Follow” and selecting your preferred podcasting platform, or click on your preferred platform: Spotify, Apple, Google.

Watch with video:

Download transcript

Speaker bio

Kim Bui is the director of product and audience innovation at the Arizona Republic. She’s focused her career on leading real-time news initiatives and creating new storytelling forms for digital, print and broadcast companies catering to local, national and global audiences. Prior, she was editor-at-large for NowThis News, focusing on original, social reporting and breaking news. She was also deputy managing editor for reported.ly, a digital media startup specializing in social journalism. She’s been a speaker, trainer and teacher on digital and social journalism at universities, conferences and gatherings worldwide. She writes a syndicated newsletter for emerging leaders and managers, The Middles.

Related reading

Sincerely, Leaders of Color

The Middles

The Key to Gen Z: Insights and Ideas to Build Lasting Relationships

Watch the next episode: Encouraging and Sustaining Diversity in News Media

Watch the previous episode: Tech Trends: What Publishers Need to Know

View all episodes

Send us your suggestions

Send your suggestions for future News Take guests to Alliance VP, Research & Insights Rebecca Frank at rebecca@newsmediaalliance.org.

Back to top

The post News Take Episode 103: Leveraging Products to Connect with Your Audience appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

Guests: Aram Zucker-Scharff, The Washington Post

“For the first time, we actually have the potential to create a real shift that benefits our users, our business, and our society, and that’s a win, win, win.” – Aram Zucker-Scharff on the shift to contextual-based targeting

Ad tech, Privacy and Performance, oh my! News publishers working to adapt to a privacy-first digital landscape before the inevitable end of the third-party cookie can easily become overwhelmed and may not even know where to start.

What does the shift towards privacy mean for news publishers and how they approach ad targeting? Is decreased reliance on third-party tracking a good thing for the industry? What are Core Web Vitals and why should news publishers care? How does my news site’s performance tie in to reader trust? What are things publishers can do right now to improve site performance? What is W3C and how can publishers take advantage to get their voices heard?

These questions and more will be discussed on this episode of News Take. News Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern had an energizing conversation with Aram Zucker-Scharff, Engineering Lead for Privacy & Security Compliance at The Washington Post, that got in-the-weeds about the kitchen sink of ad tech topics, including site monetization; improving privacy and the user experience; optimizing site performance using Core Web Vitals; and more.

This episode was so full of interesting facts and actionable insights, we didn’t want it to end. The nuggets of wisdom will come faster than you can write them down, so it’s a good thing this conversation was recorded and you can re-watch it to your heart’s content!

Listen now or download the audio file to listen offline:

Don’t forget to subscribe to the News Take podcast by clicking “Follow” and selecting your preferred podcasting platform, or click on your preferred platform: Spotify, Apple, Google.

Watch with video:

Download closed captioning transcript

Speaker bio

Aram Zucker-Scharff is the Engineering Lead for Privacy & Security Compliance at The Washington Post, where he works with publishers to maximize site performance and revenue. He has also worked on The Post’s Ad Tech R&D and Big Data teams. Aram has developed open-source tools for publishers and consulted on content strategy and digital newsroom workflows. He was one of Folio Magazine’s 15 under 30 in the magazine media industry.

Related reading

“Why The Ad Industry Should Care About Core Web Vitals – And The Impact For Publishers Who Ignore The Dreaded ‘Layout Shift’” (AdExchanger) – by Amanda Hicks, director of product for The Washington Post’s Research, Experimentation & Development (RED) team.

Watch the next episode: Leveraging Products to Connect with Your Audience

Watch the previous episode: Local News: Understanding What Readers Want and How to Deliver it to Them

View all episodes

Send us your suggestions

Send your suggestions for future News Take guests to Alliance VP, Research & Insights Rebecca Frank at rebecca@newsmediaalliance.org.

News Take Production Team:

Host and Executive Producer: Rebecca Frank, VP, Research & Insights, News/Media Alliance

Production Support, Editing & Distribution:

Georgi-Ann Clarke, Social Media & Content Manager, News/Media Alliance
Rachel Fox, Manager, Membership & Events, News/Media Alliance
Lindsey Loving, Director, Communications, News/Media Alliance

Audio & Video Engineer: Current Media Group

Back to top

The post News Take Episode 102: Tech Trends: What Publishers Need to Know appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arlington, VA – Today the American Economic Liberties Project, MediaJustice and the News Media Alliance jointly published a new report, “Minority-Owned Media and the Digital Duopoly,” which examines the history of minority-owned media and the impact of the ascendance of big tech platforms, such as Facebook and Google, on minority-owned outlets and those targeting underrepresented communities.

Through an extensive research and information-gathering effort that included conducting interviews with several representatives from minority-owned news outlets, the report demonstrates how minority-owned media’s continued survival – as well as the addition of new outlets – is being threatened by the digital platforms’ anticompetitive practices.

The report states, “The U.S. Census Bureau projects that racial minorities – primarily Blacks, Asians, Native Americans and Hispanics – will constitute the majority of the population by 2045. Given the unique challenges and the strong legacy of many minority-owned publications, the need for their survival is acute.”

Report author Pamela Newkirk, PhD – a journalist, author and professor – interviewed Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA); Joel Dreyfuss, former managing editor of The Root; Akoto Ofori-Atta, co-founder and executive editor of Capital B; Mark Trahant, editor of Indian Country Today; and Omar Wasow, co-founder of Black Planet.

As with local newspapers, niche publications aimed at certain racial or ethnic groups provide high value to their communities, sharing what is happening locally, nationally, and internationally that impacts their readers’ daily lives. However, unfortunately, they also have been hard-hit by the transition to a digital advertising marketplace that is dominated by the Duopoly.

“Facebook and Google’s dominance over online advertising poses an existential threat to journalism – and specifically to media owned by and designed to serve communities of color,” said Nidhi Hegde, Co-Lead of the American Economic Liberties Project’s Access to Markets program. “Without an open and competitive advertising market, minority-owned publishers cannot generate the revenue they need to survive, and Black and brown entrepreneurs cannot start and grow new media ventures. The way to spur innovation and protect critical civic arenas for communities of color is to break Facebook and Google’s monopoly power.”

“In the digital age, companies like Facebook and Google have reshaped where people get their information. Similar to traditional media gatekeepers, these tech companies systemically block people of color from owning and controlling our own stories while amplifying hateful content and disinformation that further harms our communities,” said Steven Renderos, Executive Director at MediaJustice. Marginalizing people of color is profitable for these tech platforms, and that’s why we need solutions that think beyond the current gatekeepers into a future where alternative newspapers and press can reach our communities.”

News Media Alliance Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Danielle Coffey, said, “We are currently facing a crisis in which our valued news publications are suffering from a dire lack of financial resources needed to survive. Two dominant tech companies – Google and Facebook – are forcing everyone to play by their rules, using news publishers’ content to fill their platforms without offering fair or adequate compensation. Without immediate intervention to correct this market imbalance, we run the risk of these publications – including minority-owned outlets – fading into history, their legacy forgotten, their future ability to provide critical, high-quality news to underrepresented communities going with them.”

The report concludes, “The ascendance of Facebook and Google threatens the viability of the entire news industry and exacerbates the structural inequities – including a disparity in advertising dollars, resources and access to capital – that have long plagued minority media. These persisting inequities, which require a reconsideration of a broad set of public policies and practices, are now compounded by minority publishers’ reliance on the very platforms that have upended and circumvented the role of the press as independent watchdogs in a democracy.”

Economic Liberties, MediaJustice and the Alliance, in a separate Overview & Introduction to the report, made the following recommendations based on the report’s conclusions:

• Pass the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA), which would allow news media outlets – including minority-owned publications – to collectively negotiate with the tech platforms for fair compensation for the use of their content.
• Make more government-backed small business lending available for the creation of new minority-owned and rural media outlets and advertising agencies.
• Conduct more research, such as a Government Accountability Office report aimed at gathering more data on advertising in minority-owned outlets.
• Follow through with antitrust action to break up the largest, most monopolistic social media companies and force interoperability between them, to create room for ad-driven tech platforms such as Black Planet to flourish.

The Alliance will submit the report to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, ahead of its hearing on February 2, 2022 on “Breaking the News – Journalism, Competition, and the Effects of Market Power on a Free Press.”

Click here to download the report.

###

Media contact:
Lindsey Loving
Director, Communications
lindsey@newsmediaalliance.org

The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.

MediaJustice is dedicated to building a grassroots movement for a more just and participatory media—fighting for racial, economic, and gender justice in a digital age. MediaJustice boldly advances communication rights, access, and power for communities harmed by persistent dehumanization, discrimination, and disadvantage. Home of the #MediaJusticeNetwork, we envision a future where everyone is connected, represented, and free.

The News Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization representing more than 2,000 news organizations and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and globally. Alliance members include print, digital and mobile publishers of original news content. Headquartered near Washington, D.C., in Arlington, Va., the association focuses on ensuring the future of news media through communication, research, advocacy and innovation. 

The post Research Report Shows Negative Impact of Big Tech on Minority-Owned Media appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

John Murray

Arlington, VA – The News Media Alliance has named the Arizona Daily Star’s #ThisIsTucson (Small category), The Keene Sentinel (Keene, NH) (Medium category), and McClatchy (Large category) as the recipients of the 2020 John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development.

A selection committee of Alliance and American Press Institute (API) executives selected the three recipients for their exceptional innovation and sophistication in understanding content strategy as part of audience development. Their effective use of multiple platforms and formats for sharing content; thoughtful content and programs to help readers navigate the events of 2020, including the coronavirus pandemic, protests against systemic racism, and the 2020 presidential election; and registration programs to introduce their brands to new audiences, among other major undertakings, resulted in measurable positive impacts on audience growth, subscription and circulation revenue, and print and digital subscriptions.

All three news publishers successfully applied one or more of the seven ‘Table Stakes’ capacities of modern news publishing, which were developed as part of the Knight Lenfest Local News Transformation program.

Alliance President and CEO, David Chavern, stated, “We have been really pleased with the response from our members to this award. Even in the midst of a global pandemic that threatened the livelihoods of many local news publishers, our members were able to show incredible growth.

Chavern continued, “While we received several impressive nominations again this year, these three organizations showed some amazing results that really demonstrate how far the industry has come, and how news publishers have innovated and are seeing great success in growing audience and revenue for their digital products and services. I know John Murray would have been really excited and proud to see the hard work news publishers are putting in that is paying off in the form of new and engaged audiences.”

Jeff Sonderman, Deputy Executive Director and Executive Vice President at API, stated, “As the United States and the world were rocked this past year by crises and major events, it became more important than ever that news organizations center their audiences’ needs in their reporting and expand to serve all types of people. This year’s award recipients provide inspiring examples of how growth is possible through refining content strategies to appeal to more people while improving business practices to grow reader revenue. It’s a pleasure to congratulate the winners and to know that the work they carry on serves the legacy of John Murray so well.”

This is the second year of the John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development, which was established in memory of former Vice President of Audience Development John Murray, who was with the organization for over 20 years before passing away in 2018. Murray was known across the news industry for helping Alliance member news publishers improve audience development and engagement, and for convening members to share best practices.

In response to being named a recipient of the 2020 John P. Murray Award:

• Irene McKisson, #ThisIsTucson team leader, said, “We’re honored that our team was chosen as an example of how a small team can make innovation and content strategy a central part of audience development.”
• Terrence Williams, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Keene Sentinel, stated, “We are delighted to receive a John P. Murray Award and be among the many prestigious past and current recipients. It’s been a total company effort to grow our digital audience while doing all we can to hold onto print subscribers, too. Being part of the Table Stakes program at Poynter in 2019-2020 provided us invaluable guidance and practices, and we continue to work at those daily. My praise goes to our staff members who have committed to this effort and to our readers for their support of our journalism.”
• Abby Reimer, Director of Consumer Product & Research at McClatchy, stated, “The success of McClatchy’s registered user strategy shows the impact of collaborative work, thoughtful design, and listening to research. We leaned on data analysis, and A/B testing to implement a holistic mid-funnel experience that has so far led to more than 1.75 million registered users and more than 20,000 new subscribers. We’re excited to continue this important work, which sustains local, essential journalism in our communities.”

All three recipients will receive an award to display at their property; a check for $500 to put toward enhancing their audience development and engagement efforts; and will be invited to present their success stories an upcoming Alliance member best practices webinar. The Alliance will also add this year’s recipients to a plaque that is displayed at its headquarters.

For more information about the John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development, click here.

###

Media Contact:
Lindsey Loving
Director, Communications
571.366.1009
lindsey@newsmediaalliance.org

The News Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization representing more than 2,000 news organizations and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and globally. Alliance members include print, digital and mobile publishers of original news content. Headquartered just outside of Washington, D.C., the association focuses on ensuring the future of news media through communication, research, advocacy and innovation. Information about the News Media Alliance (formerly NAA) can be found at www.newsmediaalliance.org.

The post News Media Alliance Announces Recipients of 2020 John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

4FR / E+ via Getty Images

The Philadelphia Inquirer recently published an op-ed titled, “Slow vaccine distribution and disappearing local news are crises with a common solution,” co-authored by Steven Waldman, president of Report for America and coordinator of the Rebuild Local News coalition, and Susan Coffin, MD, MPH, a professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Waldman and Coffin suggests that the rise in closures of local news publications, as well as problems with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, can both be improved through government advertising in local news media encouraging vaccination. The authors contrast research showing local news as a more trusted source for many Americans for information such as public health messaging, with the current phenomenon of advertisers using ad technology that funnels ad revenue away from newspapers and toward sites perpetuating disinformation about COVID-19.

Waldman and Coffin call for at least half of public health advertising around distribution of the vaccine to be run as paid ads in local news, citing an executive order in 2019 by the mayor of the City of New York requiring this same percentage of advertising dollars be spent with local news media. The op-ed outlines the benefits to the local economy, local reporting and effectiveness of public health campaigns of increasing advertising in local news media.

The Inquirer has granted permission for News Media Alliance members to republish the op-ed in your publications.

You can download the op-ed here.

The post Op-Ed for News Publishers: Slow Vaccine Distribution and Disappearing Local News are Crises with a Common Solution appeared first on News/Media Alliance.